A Thousand Years
by thegirlwiththetrident
Summary: There are moments that make you cry, there are moments that make you laugh and there are moments that you will never forget. Even after their biggest adventure, the lives of our heroes are filled with these moments and a few of them have been captured here, for you to read and to hopefully put a smile on your face :)
1. Chapter 1: Never Again

**A Thousand Years**

Chapter one: Never Again

The wind made Annabeth's hair blow across her face, causing her to reach up and push it behind her ear, but without the usual impatience that she normally reserved just for the blonde curls that fell beneath her shoulders.

No, today Annabeth was relaxed.  
>It was one of her rare days off from building Little Athens, Camp Half-Blood's version of New Rome. She and Percy had decided to spend the day at the beach, and they'd even dared to walk a little outside of camp borders for some privacy.<p>

As they set up their picknick blanket, Annabeth sneeked a glance at her boyfriend. Even though he was now almost twenty-five, he still had that school-boyish, daredevil look about him that made her want to either reprimand or kiss him, she was never sure which.  
>A scar ran from the bottom of his right ear all the way down his back, but only the part on his neck was visible right now.<br>They both had a lot of scars, and they would continue to get them.

However, in moments like this, Annabeth felt as though every scar was worth it, if it meant she got to go on with this crazy journey called life.

"What's that look about?" Percy asked her, taking a huge bite out of a slice of blue cake. Some things never changed.  
>"What look?" Annabeth asked, slightly defensively.<br>"Come on, wise girl. I know you well enough to know when something's going on." Percy grinned and gave her a playful push.  
>Annabeth responded immediately by smacking him upside the head.<br>"Ouch!" Percy complained, but she knew it hadn't really hurt. At least not a lot.

She stuck her tongue out at him and then laughed, thinking how they still behaved like teenagers.  
>"Fine, I had a look. I was just thinking about...how lucky I am."<br>She waited for Percy to say something sarcastic or funny, the way he usually would when they talked about things like that.  
>It wasn't that he couldn't be serious, but that he simply had a different way of dealing with and talking about his feelings.<p>

But, to her surprise, Percy didn't make a joke out of it.  
>Instead he looked at her, his expression half serious and half...relieved?<p>

Suddenly though, his face changed and he yelled:  
>"Watch out!"<br>Annabeth whipped around fast than lightning and after only glimpsing something flying through the air, her knife was embedded in the unknown threat.

With a klunk, it fell onto the ground, and, carefully, Annabeth and Percy approached it.  
>"It's a bronze...snake?" Annabeth said, her voice incredulous.<br>This thing was not a monster, it was simply a modell, made beautifully out of celestial bronze.  
>"Maybe it fell from one of Hephaestus' workshops?" she wondered, but then she noticed something else in between the shards of bronze.<br>"Look" she told Percy and pointed. Only then did she realize that Percy did not seem as confused by the appearance of the bronze snake as she was.

With an odd look on his face, he carefully knelt down and retrieved the object, which Annabeth now saw was a small, dark blue box.  
>She was just about to ask Percy to hand it to her, when he did something that made Annabeth freeze.<br>Instead of getting back up, Percy turned toward her, one knee still on the ground, the little blue box now open in his hands, and something sparkling inside it.  
>Could this really be happening?<br>Annabeth's usually so quick and sharp mind seemed to have frozen, mid-thought.

"Well, at least you're surprised." Percy said with a nervous little laugh.  
>And it was this more than anything, this little joke in an awkward situation that was just so typically Percy, that brought her back to reality.<br>It was difficult to hide the huge smile Annabeth knew her face was dying to break into, but she wanted to punish Percy a little for catching her off-guard.  
>He was looking extremely nervous, his sea-green eyes more vulnerable than she'd ever seen them.<br>He cleared his throat.  
>"Annabeth" he started, but his tone was so serious that Annabeth couldn't help but chuckle.<br>This seemed to reassure Percy and he grinned as well.  
>"Wise girl. I love you, you know that. You've been my best friend for more than half my life and I don't know how I could have survived it all without you. I remember times when we were separated-" a look of pain crossed his face and she herself felt a stab of hurt at the old memory "and if there's one good thing that came from that then it's that I know now, more than I've ever known anything, that I don't ever want to be away from you. So..."<br>he drew in a deep breath "will you marry me, Annabeth Chase?"

It was perfect, more perfect than anything Annabeth had ever seen or felt or experienced. The beach, the picknick, even the surprise snake, which she suspected might be an allusion to the first real monster they'd ever defeated together. She was so happy she could have been eaten by a hellhound right then and there and it would have been okay.

Even though she was overcome with emotion, there were no tears in her eyes, instead she nodded decidedly, in true Annabeth Chase fashion.  
>"Yes. Yes I will.<p>

Percy's face broke into a huge grin, and before she knew it she was in his arms as he hugged her tightly to his chest.  
>She leaned her head against his, and closed her eyes, words escaping her mouth in a whisper:<br>"You're not getting away from me, remember?"  
>Percy kissed her before he answered, and his voice was her whole world.<p>

"Never again."

_Hope you enjoyed this first chapter of my one-shot series :) Have a lovely day and remember I don't own PJO/HoO_


	2. Chapter 2: Guitar Lessons

Chapter two: Guitar Lessons

„No, like this."  
>Piper pulled the guitar out of Percy's hands and showed him the correct way to play the "G" chord.<p>

Ever since Percy had found out Piper had guitar lessons when she was younger, he'd been badgering her to teach him.  
>Eventually, after realizing he wouldn't shut up about it, Piper had agreed.<br>It was actually quite fun, even though Percy seemed to have the ability to misunderstand everything Piper told him.

Still, the way his eyes shone with excitement when it was his turn to try a new chord made Piper feel warm inside.  
>Although Percy was only nineteen, his face looked a lot older most of the time.<br>She guessed it had something to do with spending several days in literal hell, especially when she looked at Annabeth and saw the same expression, or the way the same hollow look sometimes crossed their faces.

It had gotten better, though. When they'd started planning Little Athens, about a year ago, Annabeth had immersed herself in designing the city and Percy had taken up teaching again.  
>Every time she saw him wield a sword, swim in the ocean or, like now, play guitar, Piper noticed Percy seemed younger, happier.<br>In short, it was when they were distracted that her two friends seemed like they hadn't been to Tartarus.

It was this reason more than anything else why Piper was glad when Percy begged her to get her old guitar out.  
>Of course, it also gave her a chance to make fun of him, so that was an added bonus.<p>

"Is this okay?" Percy asked her, and Piper checked his fingers.  
>They were all correctly placed, for a change.<p>

"Yep. Try playing the chord then."

Percy did so, and to both their surprise, a proper sound came from the instrument.  
>Sure, it was a little wobbly, but still it was correct.<p>

"That was actually good." Piper smiled at him.

A satisfied grin spread over Percy's face and he played the chord again several times.  
>"Maybe we can try a song tomorrow." Piper suggested and Percy nodded eagerly.<p>

"Yeah! Thanks, Piper."  
>He glanced at his watch. "Dam, I'd better get to the arena, I've got a lesson at two."<p>

"Kay." Piper said, taking the guitar, thinking she might play a bit herself before checking on how the new Aphrodite kids were doing at archery.

"See ya later, Pipes." Percy said over his shoulder as he jogged away.

While Piper tried to remember how to play_ 'Wonderwall' _by Oasis, she saw Percy giving Annabeth a kiss in the distance.

"Guess what" she heard him tell his girlfriend. "I managed the _G _chord today! And Piper said we might do a song tomorrow!"

Piper heard Annabeth's laugh from across the lawn. It was obvious her boyfriend's enthusiasm made her smile.

_You'll be okay, _Piper thought as she watched her two best friends, a smile on her own lips.  
><em>We'll all be okay. <em>

**Hope you like this new chapter :) Thanks for the reviews, and remember, I don't own anything from PJO/HoO!**


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